Sequencing valve



112,. 1969 c, c. KAH, JR., ETAL y3,460,560

sEQUENoING VALVE Filed July 5. 1966 40 INVENTORS FIG. 2 CARL L. C. KAH,Jr.

a ROGER D. SLAGEL United States Patent O 3,460,560 SEQUENCING VALVE'Carl L. C. Kah, Jr., 716 Ibis Way, North Palm Beach, Fla., 33403, andRoger D. Slagel, 294 Balsam St., Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 33480 FiledJuly 5, 1966, Ser. No. 562,653 Int. Cl. F16k 1/24, 11/02 U.S. Cl.137-119 9 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLGSURE A sequencing valve comprisinga cylindrical housing having a plurality of outlet ports through thelower end thereof and a tangential disposed inlet port at the upper sidethereof is provided. A valve element in the form of a ported disc isdisposed between the inlet and outlet ports and is supported for axialand rotational movement by a top cover located on the cylinder. Thecover carries upper and lower cams which are engaged by a cam followeriixed to the disc, at the extreme axial positions of travel 0f the disc.The disc in addition carries vanes which are contacted by the tluidentering through the tangentially disposed inlet. The inlet and vanesarrangement aids in rotating the disc during changes in inlet linepressure. Suspension of all of the moving parts of the assembly from thecover facilitates removal for maintenance and repair.

This invention relates to a sequencing valve automatically responsive tothe application and reduction of line pressure to supply a plurality ofoutlets in sequence.

Examples of the prior art over which the present invention providesimprovements appear in the patents to Berry 2,666,450, dated Jan. 19,1954, Bird 2,833,309, dated May 6, 195'8, and Cameron 3,124,162, datedMar. 10, 1964.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a sequencingValve automatically responsive to the application and reduction of linepressure comprising a housing having an inlet port and a plurality ofoutlet ports, a valving member, containing at least one port, rotatableand reciprocable in the housing for selectively closing at least one ofthe outlet ports, a cam element carried by the valving member, aplurality of cam members carried by the housing engageable with the camelement for indexing the valving member, spring means biasing thevalving member away from the outlet ports, and means responsive to fluidflow upon the application of line pressure to impart rotation to thevalving member. The inlet port is disposed tangentially wi-th respect tothe valving member so that lluid flow will -assist in eifecting rotationof the valving member. The valving member assumes the form of a porteddisk having an upstream surface proximate to the inlet port and adownstream surface proximate to the outlet ports. yResilient sealingelements suround the outlet ports and project therefrom towards thevalving member. The downstream surface of the valving member carriesprojecting ridge means engageable with the resilient sealing elementssurounding the outlet ports to facilitate separation when line pressureis reduced. Spring means is carried by the valving member serving tobias the valving member away from the outlet ports upon the reduction ofline pressure. The spring means has a force less than that imposed byline pressure upon the closed area of the valving member. The fflowresponsive means includes iin means carried by the valving member forcooperation with the tangential flow through the inlet port into thehousing. The valving means includes 'ilange means extending axiallytowards the inlet port by virtue of which greater tolerance between themoving parts will be possible without the re- 3,460,560 Patented Aug.12, 1969 quirement of an increase in liow through the valve to produceactuation of the valve. The outlet ports are surrounded by grooves inwhich resilient O-rings are retained to eiect the sealing engagementwith the valving member and for cooperation with the projecting ridgemeans carried by the valving member.

A more complete understanding of the invention will follow from adescription of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially in section depicting anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the lower cam member carried by the housingof FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the cam member of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a development depicting the relationship of the cam surfacesof the upper and lower cam members carried by the housing.

The housing 10 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 is composed of a lower section12, an intermediate section 14 and an upper or closure section 16. Thethree sections are as sembled by means of bolts 18 and lmaintained insealed relationship by means of an O-ring 20 received in an annulargroove 22 formed in the lower section 12 and an -O-ring 24 received inan annular groove 26 formed in the upper section 16.

The intermediate section 14 of the housing contains an inlet port 28provided with internal threads and disposed tangentially with respect tothe housing so as to impart the proper direction of How to the incomingliquid.

The lower section 12 of the housing contains a desired number ofinternally threaded :axially disposed outlet ports 30, four of whichhave been depicted for purposes of example in the accompanying drawings.The upper surface 32 of the housing lower section 12 contains a groove34 surrounding the upstream end of each outlet port and into each suchgroove an O-ring 36 is introduced with a pressed lit so as to projectabove the surface 32 for sealing engagement with a valving member. Alsoprojecting from the upper surface 32 of the housing lower section 12 isa guide rod 38 whose lower end can be staked into the lower section 12or otherwise suitably secured thereto. The outer wall of the lowersection 12, centrally of the outlet ports, may be provided with suitablereinforcing webs 40.

A valving member 42 is depicted as comprising a ported disk 44 and atubular shaft 46 extending axially and centrally therefrom and securedthereto by means of one or more screws or other fastenings 48. One endof a coil spring 50 bears against a wall of the closed upper end 52 ofthe tubular shaft and the other end of the spring bears against a ball54 which is maintained in engagement with the end of the guide rod 38,whereby the valving member 42 will be biased by the spring 50 in adirection away from the outlet ports 30.

The ported disk 44 contains a port 56 which is sequentially registeredwith the outlet ports 30, in sealing engagement with their O-rings 36,in a manner to be described. The ported disk 44 is is formed with anupwardly directed peripheral ange 58, whose presence permits a greatertolerance between the valving member and housing than would otherwise bepossible for a given minimum actuating ilow through the valve. The upperinlet pressure reaction surface of the ported disk carries a pluralityof radially disposed vanes or ribs 60, so as to lie in the llow path ofliquid introduced through the inlet port 28, to produce a tendency forthe valving member to rotate under the influence of the tangential low.Moreover, the application of line pressure in the inlet pressure chamberdefined between the upper surface of valving member 42 and closuremember 16 will impose sufficient flow through the valve to create apressure differential across the valving member of sufiicient force onthe valve member, in opposition to its biasing spring 50 to move thevalving member downwardly towards the outlet ports.

The tubular shaft 46 is slidably and rotatably received in a tubularsleeve 62 depending from the upper or closure section 16 of the housing.An upper cam member 64 is formed integral with the sleeve forcooperation with a follower 66 carried by the tubular shaft 46. A lowercam member 68 is received in the lower open end of the tubular sleeve 62and by means of a lobe 70 formed on the radial flange 72 of the lowercam member, a screw 74, extending through an opening in the lobe,secures the lower cam member to the tubular sleeve 62, so that this cammember also cooperates with the follower 66 carried by the tubularsleeve 62.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower cam member 68 carries four camsurfaces 76, spaced by slots 78, since there are four outlet ports 30.It will be understood that any desired number of outlet ports can beprovided, and accommodated by selecting cams having a correspondingnumber of cam surfaces.

As will be apparent from an inspection of the somewhat diagrammaticdevelopment of the upper and lower cams depicted in FIG. 5, applicationof line pressure to the inlet port 28 will impart a downward movement tothe valving member and a rotational movement by virtue of the reactionof the tangential ow on the vanes or ribs 60, and the follower -66 willreceive a movement in the direction of the arrow 80 along the surface 82of the lower cam member 68.

With the cam element or follower 66 in the lowermost position in theslot 78 below the surface 82, the valving member 42 will engage theO-rings 36 surrounding the outlet ports, with the port 56 communicatingwith only one of the outlet ports through which the fluid ow will occur.This condition will prevail so long as the line pressure is maintained.When the line pressure is sufficiently reduced or entirely removed, theforce of the spring 50 will elevate the valving member 42, permittingthe cam element or follower 66 to move in the direction of the arrow 84and the arrow 86 along the surface 88 of the upper cam 64, impartingrotation to the valving member so that its port 56 will be in readinessfor alignment with the next of the outlet ports 30 in the desiredsequence. Renewed application of line pressure will cause the valvingmember to be moved downwardly and the cam element 66 to follow the pathindicated by the arrow 90 for engagement with the surface 92 of thelower cam 68 whereby further rotation of the valving member will occuruntil its port 56 is actually in registry with the next outlet port tobe served. This mode of operation will be repeated each time linepressure is applied andy removed. It will be noted that the upper limitof travel of valving member 42 is defined by the upper limits of the camgrooves in upper cam 64 which maintains the valving member at asufficient distance from closure member 16 to define an inlet pressurechamber of substantial volume.

It will be evident, that the positioning of the cam members 64 and 68,and the spring 50, so as to be protected from the direct flow of liquid,will reduce the likelihood of the intrusion of foreign matter to thesecomponents, and assure better operation with reduced need for serviceand maintenance. In addition, the tangential flow through the inlet port28 will tend to prevent the accumulation of foreign material within thehousing itself.

The lower or downstream surface 94 of the valving member is providedwith annular projecting ridges 9 6 for engagement with the O-rings 36surrounding the outlet ports. The projecting ridges 96, in the lowermostposi,- tion of the valving member 42, will intersect the resilientO-rings 36 and depress them to a greater degree than the remainingportions of the O-rings which are engaged directly by the downstreamsurface 94 where the projections do not exist. This additionaldeformation of the O-rings provides an added separation force, due tothe resiliency of the O-rings, to initiate upward movement of thevalving member from the outlet ports when line pressure is reduced.

It will be understood, that the total force to move the valving membertowards the oulet ports is produced by the flow of liquid from a pointupstream of the valving member to a point downstream thereof.

A sequencing valve embodying the present invention is admirably suitedfor the sequential sprinkling of areas to which water is to be applied.Such devices are extremely useful in the maintenance of golf courses,for general irrigation, and other applications.

Whereas only one specific embodiment of the invention has been describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings, variations will besuggested to those skilled in the art within the scope of the appendedclaims.

We claim:

1. A sequencing valve automatically responsive to the application andreduction of line pressure, comprising; a housing defining a valvechamber, an inlet pressure port adjacent one end of said chamber and aplurality of outlet ports adjacent the other end of said chamber; avalving member containing at least one port; first means carried by saidhousing mounting said valving member for rotation and reciprocationintermediate opposite ends of said chamber in response to fluid flowupon the application of line pressure for selectively closing at leastone of said outlet ports; said inlet port being tangentially disposedwith respect to said valving member; vane means carried by said valvingmember; second means carried by said housing biasing said valving membertoward said one end of said chamber; said second means constituting thesole structure carried by said housing for imparting motion to thevalving member in the direction of the reciprocating movement thereof;stop means carried by said housing limiting the travel of said valvingmember in the direction of said one end of said chamber to define aninlet pressure chamber between the valving member and said one end ofsaid valve chamber of substantial volume, whereby inlet line pressuremay exert a substantial pressure differential across said valving memberin opposition to the force exerted by said second means;

cam element means carried by said valving member; and

camming means carried by said housing positioned for engagement withsaid cam element means upon reciprocation of the valving member underthe influence of inlet line pressure and said second means for impartinga rotary indexing movement to the valving member.

2. A sequencing valve according to claim 1 wherein said valving memberis a ported disk having an upstream surface proximate to said inlet portand a downstream surface proximate to said outlet ports.

3. A sequencing valve according to claim 2 wherein resilient sealingelements surround said outlet ports and project therefrom toward saidvalving member for effecting sealing engagement with the downstreamsurface of said disk.

4. A sequencing valve according to claim 3 wherein said downstreamsurface carries projecting ridge means engageable lwith said resilientsealing elements for producing deformations in said elements in additionto the deformation effected by the aforesaid sealing engagement wherebyan additional separating force is available to aid in unseating thevalving member against residual system pressure.

5. A sequencing valve according to claim 1 wherein said second means iscarried by said valving member.

6. A sequencing Valve according to claim 1 wherein said second means hasa biasing force less than that imposed by line pressure upon theunported area of the valving member, said camming means including a pairof spaced annular cam members each having a plurality of staggered camsurfaces engageable with said cam element means as said valving memberundergoes reciprocation and indexing rotation, and an annular angeformed integrally with said valving member and extending axiallytherefrom in the direction of said inlet port.

7. A sequencing valve according to claim l wherein said outlet ports aresurrounded by grooves in which resilient O-rings are retained forsealing engagement with said valving member.

8. A sequencing Valve automatically responsive to the application andreduction of line pressure, comprising; a housing defining a valvechamber, an inlet pressure port adjacent one end of said chamber and aplurality of outlet ports adjacent the other end of said chamber; avalving member containing at least one port; said valving memberincluding a pressure reaction surface area and an oppositely facingsealing surface area; first means carried by said housing mounting saidvalving member for rotation and reciprocation intermediate opposite endsof said valve chamber in response to fluid flow upon the application ofline pressure for selectively closing at least one of said outlet ports;second means carried by said housing biasing said valving member towardsaid one end of said valve chamber, the total pressure reaction surfacearea of said valving member facing in the direction of lsaid one end ofsaid valve chamber and dening a variable volume pressure chamber betweensaid total pressure reaction surface area and said one end of said valvechamber whereby the total pressure in said pressure chamber will beexerted as a pressure differential across said valving member inopposition to the bias exerted by said second means; cam element meanscarried. by said valving member; and camming means carried by saidhousing positioned for engagement with said cam element means uponreciprocation of the valving member under the influence of inlet linepressure and said second means for imparting a rotary indexing movementto the valving member.

9. A sequencing valve automatically responsive to the application andreduction of line lpressure, comprising; a housing having an inlet port,a plurality of outlet ports, and an imperforate closure section; avalving member in said housing containing at least one port; saidvalving member being rotatable and reciprocable in response to uid flowupon the application of line pressure for selectively closing at leastone of said outlet ports, cam element means carried by said valvingmember; camming means carried by said closure section engageable withsaid cam element means for indexing said valving member; and meanscarried by said closure section biasing said valving member away fromsaid outlet ports whereby the actuating mechanism may be readilydisassembled for inspection, alteration or repair in unit-handledfashion Without disconnecting the inlet pressure line.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,666,450 1/1954 Berry IS7-624.11 3,181,550 5/1965 Okabe 137-119 2,871,883 2/1959 Dunlap 137-625.11XR 3,008,490 11/1961 Angelos 137-,625.11 3,124,162 3/1964 Cameron137-625.11

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner R. l. SMITH, Assistant Examiner U.S.Cl. XR.

